Safe for sleeping-cars.



786,270- PATENTED APR. 4, 1905.

- c. 0. DAWSON.

SAFE FOR SLEEPING CARS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1904. RENEWED EEB. 8.1905.

aHomuu S UNITED STATES Patented April 4, 1905 PATENT OEEIcE.

CHRISTOPHER COX DAWSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Y ASSIGNOROF ONE-FOURTH TO PAUL L. WEBB, OF WASHINGTON, DIS

TRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SAFE FOR SLEEPING-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,270, .lato'rl April4, 1905. Application filed February 2, I904. Renewed February 8, 1905.Serial No. 2 14,2312.

To (all whmn [It may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER Cox DAW- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at \Vashington, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safes for Sleeping-Cars;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to safes for sleepingcars.

In sleeping-cars in common use there is at present no provision forsafe-keeping of the passengers valuables, so that when retiring eachpassenger must secrete his valuables wherever he thinks best, and withthe result that they are usually placed in such places as are easilyaccessible to a professional thief.

It is the object of the present invention to provide in connection witheach berth a safe or receptacle in the wall of a car, the safe having adoor provided with a lock so constructed and equipped that it cannot beopened without disturbing the occupant of the berth and at the same timemay be readily opened by the occupant of the berth without the use ofthe ordinary key, which is liable to become lost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood fromthe following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a car equipped witha safe embodying the present invention, the parts being in a positiongiven them when the berth is not in use. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough a portion of the wall of the car With the safe therein, thelocking mechanism being shown in elevation and in active position, theactuating-lever being illustrated upon the mattress of the berth. Fig. 3is a horizontal section through the safe.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a portion of a carincluding the side wall 5 and portions of two benches or seats 6 and 7of usual construction, and the cushions of which are arranged in theusual well-known manner for adjustment to receive a mattress 8 when theberth is in use. In the wall 5 of the car there is placed a metal box 9,forming a safe and having a hinged door 10, which when closed is flushwith the inner face of the wall 5, in which position it may be held bymeans of a pivoted latch 11, the nib 12 of which is disposed to engage akeeper 13 at the side of the safe. This latch 11 is designed to hold thedoor in closed position during the day-time, so that free access to thesafe may be had. To hold the door in closed position when the berth isoccupied, a second latch mechanism or lock is employed. The door isillustrated as extending slightly below the bottom of the safe 9, andthis lower portion is provided witha flange 14:, which extends beneaththe safe and is provided with a perforation 15, so that it forms akeeper. In the wall 5 is slidably mounted a bolt 16, which passesthrough a suitable guide 17, so that when the bolt is reciprocated itwill be directed into the perforation 15 when the door is closed. Thebolt 16 is mounted or disposed in a passage 18 in the wall 5, and thispassage is enlarged at its lower end, as shown at 19, where there ispivoted an angular lever 20, one end of which is pivoted to the bolt 16,while the other end extends outwardly from the passage, so that when thebolt 16 is in engaging position this outer end of the lever 20 will lietransversely of and upon the mattress 8. When the lever 20 is shifted towithdraw the bolt 16 from the keeper, the outer end of the lever isswung upwardly and into a recess 21 in the face of the wall of the carto lie flush with said face. A perforation 22 is formed in the outer endportion of the lever 20. to receive a finger when the lever is to bedrawn from the recess 21. l/Vith the lever 20 in its active position, asshown in 22, the occupant of the berth will lie upon the lever, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that he must be moved from overthe lever before the latter can be shifted to withdraw the bolt andunlock the safe. It will of course be understood that the occupant ofthe berth could not be thus shifted without waking him, and hence thecontents of the safe are protected.

It will be understood that the lever 20 may be more or less flexible, soas not to be uncomfortable to the occupant of the berth, thatmodifications of the specific construction shown may be made. and thatany suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It will befurthermore understood that the present invention is not limited to usein connection with a sleeping-car, as it may be employed in a ship or ina hotel in connection with a berth or bed or any other place oftemporary sojourn. it being understood that from the standpoint of thepresent invention the berth and bed are synonymous terms.

It will be noted that with the present invention the occupant of theberth may be entirely passive and still prevent operation of the lockingmechanism to unlock a safe, this beingdistinguished from a structurewherein the occupant of the berth would be required to activelyinterfere by accident or designedly with the opening of the safe in thesame manner that he might interfere with the opening of an ordinarydoor.

W hat is claimed is 1. A sleeping-car or similar structure having a safelocated convenient to a berth and a lock for the safe comprising amember disposed to lie when active in such position that its movement toinactive position will be prevented by a passive occupant of the berth.

2. A sleeping-car or similar structure having a safe located convenientto a berth and a lock for the safe comprising a lever disposed to liewhen active, over the berth in such position that its movement toinactive position will be obstructed by an occupant of the berth.

3. A sleeping-car or similar structure having a safe located convenientto a berth or bed and a lock for the safe comprising a pivoted leverdisposed to lie when active, in such position that its movement toinactive position will be obstructed by an occupant of the berth or bed.

4:. A sleeping-car or similar structure having a safe located convenientto a berth or bed and a lock for the safe comprising a pivoted leverdisposed to lie when active, over the berth or bed in such position thatits movement to inactive position will be obstructed by an occupant ofthe berth or bed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRIS. COX DAWSON.

Witnesses:

G120. H. OHANDLEE, H ENRY J. Gnoss.

